15 Hot Networking Products This Summer You Need To See

This Summer's Hot Networking Products

New networking solutions built around software and services seem to be sprouting up every day in 2016. As vendors shift investments and R&D away from hardware and into software-defined products, network channel partners have the ability to capture more recurring revenue than ever before.

Next-generation network products in this list are not only coming from market leaders Cisco, Arista Networks and Juniper Networks, but also from vendors like Pica8, Cumulus Networks and Cradlepoint who are making waves in the industry. Although software is dominating the networking headlines, there's still innovative hardware products being released that focus on emerging markets like the Internet of Things.

Here are 15 hot new networking products launched this summer that solution providers need to know about.

Juniper Cloud-Enabled Branch

Juniper Networks launched a Cloud-Enabled Branch system that allows enterprises and managed service providers to seamlessly create and automate delivery of branch office networking services on-demand. As part of Juniper's Unite suite, the system helps companies accelerate deployment of real-time services and applications -- including software-defined WAN functionality -- across branch locations with network automation, zero-touch provisioning and an open platform. The suite also includes security capabilities to proactively identify and respond to threats and enforce security polices across all branch locations.

The Sunnyvale, Calif.-based networking company recently unveiled plans to acquire Aurrion, a developer of silicon photonics technology, which Juniper plans to incorporate into its products, reducing the costs of its networking systems.

Cradlepoint's New IBR Routers

Cradlepoint launched new routers in its popular COR IBR router series designed for critical machine-to-machine and Internet of Things use cases.

The new IBR600B and IBR650B cloud-managed, semi-ruggedized compact routers include embedded modems that will perform at higher speeds and support additional bands. The routers can also automatically connect to the U.S. wireless carrier associated with the SIM card installed.

Arista Networks Universal Leaf Platform

The fast growing networking vendor launched a new fixed switching and routing platform for next-generation data centers: Arista's 7280R Universal Leaf Series. The 7280R platform combines deep buffering, Internet-scale route tables and Arista's open, programmable EOS (Extensible Operating System) in a compact form factor. Enabled with its FlexRoute technology, the 7280R is able to reduce the cost for traditional router platforms for IP Peering and Data Center Interconnect (DCI) networking solutions.

The platform has storage interoperability with EMC, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, NetApp, Nutanix and Pure Storage systems.

Ruckus WLAN-as-a-Service

Fresh off being acquired by Brocade Communications, Ruckus Wireless revealed a new wireless local area network (WLAN) management-as-a-service offering: Ruckus Cloud Wi-Fi. The service allows enterprises with limited IT resources to set up, monitor and manage a WLAN of any size without compromising wireless performance.

Customers select their desired access points and then sign up for a 1-year, 3-year or 5-year cloud management subscription. The solution will support the Brocade ICX line of switches, delivering an integrated platform that simplifies the configuration, monitoring and troubleshooting of both wired and wireless networks.

Cumulus Linux 3.0

Cumulus Networks launched the latest release of the company's Linux network operating system, Cumulus Linux 3.0. Version 3.0 adds support for seven new platforms including four 100G platforms. The Mountain View, Calif.-based vendor says it's targeting customers building next-generation public and private clouds.

’Cumulus Linux 3.0 gives customers' choice with access to a broad set of 100G platforms with support for both Broadcom Tomahawk and Mellanox Spectrum chip sets,’ said JR Rivers, co-founder and CTO of Cumulus, in a statement.

Avaya And FatPipe Integrate SDN, SD-WAN Solutions

FatPipe Networks and Avaya integrated their data center software-defined networking (SDN) and software-defined WAN into a single solution. FatPipe integrated its SD-WAN hybrid networking products with Avaya's fabric-based SDN Fx architecture.

’As the first fully integrated unified communications and networking infrastructure, Avaya SDN Fx combined with FatPipe's SD-WAN solutions help drive improved operating efficiencies that simplify IT operations and result in real cost savings,’ said Sanch Datta, FatPipe's President and CTO, in a statement.

ClearOne CONVERGE Pro 2

Audio and video conferencing specialist ClearOne unveiled what it touts as the next-generation audio conferencing platform: CONVERGE Pro 2. The Salt Lake City, Utah-based vendor's new platform includes new ClearOne FlowView software, more microphone inputs to provide greater flexibility, and audio algorithms that provide noise and echo cancellation and feedback elimination.

"The need for superior audio conferencing at companies large and small is only growing," said Durai Ramachandiran, senior director of product line management at ClearOne, in a statement. "Despite the diversity of environments … as well as the diversity of popular PC-based unified communications and web conferencing applications such as Cisco Webex, Citrix GotoMeeting, ClearOne Spontania, Google Hangouts, Microsoft Skype for Business — one thing remains the same, and that's the desire for a high-fidelity, immersive audio."

Plexxi Connect And Control For Hyper-Convergence

Plexxi has launched two new software products that enable Plexxi's fabric to deliver per-workload segmentation, security, optimization and visualization for private and public cloud environments. The new Plexxi Connect 2.0 Open Integration platform and Plexxi Control 2.4 software are aimed at bringing better network control and visibility to hyper-converged systems.

Control 2.0 features integration packs to transparently automate network response to compute and storage operations. Control 2.4 allows data centers to visualize and track where and how traffic is being distributed across the network fabric. Plexxi's Cloud Building tools – which include Control, Connect and Plexxi Switch – deliver integration at the hardware, hypervisor and management levels to provide workload awareness and automation.

Pica8's New PicOS

Pica8, the Palo Alto, Calif.-based white box networking specialist, introduced a network operating system -- PicOS 2.7.1 -- that supports 25/50/100 GbE. Inside the new PicOS is AdvanceFlow, which offers a set of features for more granular flow management and optimization that allows organizations to achieve greater scale. This includes larger tables for layer three flows, controls for specifying hardware versus software flows, and better integration of layer two and layer three tables into the memory of the switch.

EnGenius Managed Wave 2 Access Points

EnGenius Technologies launched its Netron EWS Series Managed 11ac Wave 2 system, which provides integrators with the ability to simplify the planning and installation of 802.11ac Wave 2 infrastructures. The solution's dual-band 802.11ac Wave 2 access points support high device capacity and speeds of 2.5 Gbps, while sustaining bandwidth applications such as streaming video.

The solution allows administrators to manage and monitor both wired and wireless connected devices through a single web interface with its WLAN controller switch or remotely with EnGenius ezMaster Network Management Software.

MegaPath's Unified Communications Service

MegaPath revealed its new unified communications service: MegaPath One. The service provides integrated enterprise-class collaboration for businesses of all sizes, combining IP business telephony with video calling, instant messaging, presence, and online conferencing in a single application that works on Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPad and Android smartphones and tablets.

The new service supports an always-on virtual collaboration space, dubbed My Room, and the ability for users to take turns sharing their screen within the same group session. Additionally, Pleasanton, Calif.-based MegaPath announced integration capabilities with Microsoft Skype for Business.

F5 Networks DDoS Hybrid Defender, SSL Orchestrator

Application delivery specialist F5 Networks introduced two standalone products designed to help customers quickly deploy dedicated security solutions inside their networks.

F5's new DDoS Hybrid Defender provides infrastructure protection by combining multi-layered DDoS defense across network, session, and application layers to integrate offsite cloud scrubbing in an all-in-one form factor. The approach helps weed out illegitimate requests to keep operations and sites running smoothly.

The second product is F5's SSL Orchestrator that provides visibility into industry blind spots created by the growing use of encryption throughout enterprise networks. The product combines cryptographic capabilities with context-aware service chaining to enhance enforcement capabilities, heighten detection capabilities, and improve network operations and orchestration.

Cisco Defense Orchestrator

The new Cisco Defense Orchestrator is a cloud-based management application that allows customers to easily and effectively manage a large security infrastructure and policies in distributed locations across thousands of devices. The application provides customers with a template to set a consistent policy across an enterprise while also being able to manage the policies.

The defense orchestrator was just one of the San Jose, Calif.-based networking giant's solutions unveiled at Cisco Live in Las Vegas last month that are designed to embed security throughout the network.

CenturyLink Creates SD-WAN Service

In a bold move, CenturyLink launched a software-defined WAN service, an offering that packages network management and connectivity options together for businesses. CenturyLink is trying to capitalize on the fast growing SD-WAN market that's expected to jump from $225 million in 2015 to more than $6 billion by 2020, according to research firm IDC.

"CenturyLink SD-WAN offers a game-changing approach, enabling an instantly better network experience and addressing many of the common pain points faced by organizations that need high-speed, cost-effective network services for numerous locations,’ said CenturyLink Chief Technology Officer Aamir Hussain, in a statement.

Ruckus' Wave 2 Access Points

Ruckus unveiled two 802.11ac Wave 2 access points – one designed for outdoor deployment and the other for indoor use cases.

The new Ruckus ZoneFlex T710 AP is an outdoor version of its R710 AP. The T710 provides multi-gigabit wireless performance and includes four dual-band antennas, Ethernet and fiber backhaul interfaces. It includes a built-in GPS to make it easier to locate it when conducting device inventories.

Ruckus' new ZoneFlex R510 AP is the Wave 2 version of its R500 AP. Designed for mid-market customers, the R510 includes two dual-band antennas and works with existing 802.3af-capable Ethernet switches.